NASCAR playoff picture: Which drivers enter the next playoff round already playing catch-up?

Breaking down the current NASCAR playoff picture at the start of a new round.

And then there were eight.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs shed another four drivers from championship contention after Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval, leaving just eight remaining drivers vying for a spot in the final Championship 4.

Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman and William Byron were the four drivers eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday, and only four races remain in the 2021 season. After the next three, the playoff field will shrink again, and the final four drivers will compete at Phoenix Raceway in a winner-take-all race on November 7.

So after the latest elimination race in the NASCAR playoffs, here’s a look at the remaining playoff picture before the first race in the Round of 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.